MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Magallanes tourism operators want regional official representative removed

Punta Arenas reports a significant drop in tourists to the region

Tourism operators from the extreme south of Chile in Punta Arenas are demanding that the regional representative of the national Tourism Office, Senatur, Christian Miranda resign and be immediately replaced.

Punta Arenas tourism operators are concerned because they feel Mr. Miranda does not represent them and has not shown interest in facing the challenges of the aftermath from the A (H1N1) influenza outbreak last year and the recent earthquake which have scared tourists from visiting Chile.

Catalina Jaksic from the Magallanes Tourism Chamber said “we need someone in the job who strongly represents us, supports us technically and lobbies before national authorities in favour of regional projects and coordinates with other state services”.

Ms Jaksic added that Magallanes Region has been absent from the emblematic Country Image project “simply because Mr. Miranda ignores what is going on. We therefore are requesting an official who is alert, pushes ahead our projects and marks the importance of Magallanes and Patagonia for the Chilean tourism industry”.

“The region has great potential and tourism is one of our main industries, sources of income and of employment. It is crucial for us and the local economy to have someone totally involved”, added Ms Jaksic.

Enrique Escobar president of the Patagonia Tourism Development Corporation went further and said “how is it possible that Mr. Miranda was not aware of the Image Country project, when he is responsible for delivering the funds”.

Furthermore Escobar pointed out that during the recent Punta Arenas tourist operators visit to promote the region in Brazil, “Mr Miranda said publicly the trip was done with funds from the ministry. The whole operation cost 50 million Chilean Pesos (equivalent to 100.000 US dollars) and each of us paid 2 million pesos. What he said is absolutely not true. He is intent in distorting our image and work”.

Tourism operator Escobar revealed that there is no dialogue with Mr. Miranda and “he has done nothing at all to help revert the serious situation the tourism sector in Magallanes is facing. He’s most of the time on medical leave. He’s not the man for the job and has shown no interest in promoting regional tourism”.